Square feeder bowl



April 4, G. M. TARZIAN 3,506,107

SQUARE FEEDER BOWL Filed March 27, 1968 FIGJ. /o/

INVENTOR @[QPQM MZZ/A/V ATTORNEYS United States Patent O US. Cl. 198-33 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A square feeder bowl for square parts having correct angle orientation requirements including discriminating corner part orientation means adapted to selectively reorient only misoriented parts and thereby increase the useable yield.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the case of numerous square and other polygonal parts fed by conventional, cylindrical vibratory feeder bowl in which the parts move up in ascending spiral track, the yield is limited by the continuous engagement of one side of the part with the inner cylindrical surface of the bowl maintaining initial orientation throughout the travel of each part up the ascending spiral track. Thus, for example, if a square extruded part requires correct orientation with respect to angle of departure as well as top and bottom, an average of only one out of four parts entering the spiral ramp on a random basis would be properly oriented so that any provision for returning misoriented parts would result in the feeder having only a 25% yield. Accordingly, in order to improve the efficiency of yield a need has existed for discriminating, selective reorientation supplementing conventional means for feeder action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have discovered that through the employment of a square or other polygonal vibratory feeder bowl configuration having comer angles in the ascending part path, the sudden change in wall direction at the corners may be employed to advantage in selectively reorienting parts on a discriminating basis thereby improving the efficiency of yield. For example, a track may be employed which will lead a part oriented to engage the track around the corners of a square feeder bowl whereas a part not so oriented will be fed straight into the wall and then proceed in a 90 deg. reoriented direction which, if properly oriented as to top and bottom, will lead to track engagement and continuing properly oriented travel to the discharge exit; thus a 25% yield for a conventional cylindrical feeder bowl may be improved to a 50% yield through the adoption of a square feeder bowl configuration.

While this technique finds most application in the feeding of square parts with square bowls, other polygonal forms of bowls such as triangular, pentagonal or hexagonal may likewise be employed to advantage in certain cases where the part configuration is appropriate.

A further advantage of the invention lies in economy of construction due to the relative simplicity of providing straight wall and straight track elements.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a square feeder bowl constructed in accordance with the present invention;

3,506,107 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary partially sectioned view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary partially sectioned view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses a square bowl configuration including a central open parts storage area 10; an ascending ramp track 11 having an entrance area 12 flush with the bottom of the bowl; a side retaining ledge 13; a central raised track element 14; outer bowl walls 15; the bowl including three right angle corners 16a, 16b, and and the ramp 11 leading to a final discharge at 17.

The particular embodiment disclosed is adapted to feed square extruded plastic parts having the configuration shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with four possible entry orientations as indicated at 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d. Actuation of the bowl may be by conventional vibratory bowl feeder energizing means, not disclosed, but preferably embodying the advantages of the bowl vibratory drive system disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 696,407 filed on Jan. 8, 1968. The action of any such vibratory drive will be to move the parts from the central storage area outwardly by centrifugal action and then up the ramp by an oscillating pitching action providing a forward upward flight path in a counter clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1. Considering the respective alternative possible positions of the parts 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d ascending the initial ramp section of the feeder bowl it will be understood that the part 18a is the only one of the four initially oriented properly as to both top and-bottom and direction of extruded form so as to properly engage the side ledge 13 and track 14 (best shown in FIG. 2), parts 18b and being misoriented with respect to being bottom side up and part 180 also as to direction. Part 18d, it will be noted, was initially misoriented with respect to direction of extruded form causing it to ride on the top surface of the track element 14 rather than to engage such track and accordingly the vibratory movement causes such part to move straight up the ramp with face 19d in engagement with the inner side wall 20 until face 21d is arrested by the inner wall 22 at which time the part proceeds up the ramp with the latter two surfaces continually in engagement thereby causing the part 21d to en gage the side ledge 13 and track elements 14 as a fully oriented part and proceed around the next corner as shown in 23 through continuing track engagement and likewise around corner 160 to a properly oriented discharge position at the end of the ramp 17. Neither of the parts 18b nor 180 can become properly oriented since they are up side down and therefore incapable of track engagement regardless of direction so that such parts when they come to the area 24 which is provided with downward inclination to the center of the bowl will fall off the ramp back into the storage area.

From the foregoing it will be understood that each of the parts properly oriented with regard to top and bottom will become oriented with regard to direction at a corner passage, will remain oriented through track engagement so as to produce an average yield as compared to a 25% yield in the case of a conventional cylindrical bowl. While the particular embodiments of part and feeder bowl in the present illustration employ a square configuration it will be understood that a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or other polygonal form may be employed for the feeder bowl to meet particular part requirements each of which may employ the common features of part side registration with one straight inner face of the bowl utilizing an abrupt change in path of travel at a corner in combination with track configuration to effect selective orientation. It will be further understood that while a particular embodiment has been shown and described above in detail numerous other modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. A vibratory parts feeder bowl having an upwardly inclined parts feeder ramp extending around the inner bowl wall along which noncircular parts are moved by vibratory actuation characterized by a polygonal bowl configuration providing abrupt changes in ramp path direction adapted to effect a selective reorientation of parts relative to direction of travel during corner travel.

2. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 1 including cooperating ramp track means adapted to selectively maintain properly oriented parts relative to direct on of travel.

3. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 1 including a square bowl configuration.

4. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 3 including cooperating ramp track means adapted to selectively maintain properly oriented parts relative to direction of having a directional surface related to proper orientation for engaging said track means.

6. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 4 said ramp having a retaining ridge cooperating with the bowl wall in retaining properly oriented parts.

7. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 4 said ramp including an outer ridge and central track adapted to cooperated with the bowl wall in retaining properly oriented parts.

8. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 4 said track being provided with an arcuate configuration at said corners.

9. A parts feeder bowl as set forth in claim 4 said ramp having an area after at least one of said abrupt turns sloping towards the storage area of the bowl for returning misoriented parts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. l98220 

